When you surf the internet, there is a high chance you encounter some advertisement or brand-promoting content. They may all seem the same to the eye of the average everyday person, but in the world of marketing, there are two different things.
In this article, you would come to see Digital marketing and social media management through the eyes of the typical marketer, thereby unblurring the lines.
Digital Marketing
Since the world has transcended to the digital age, businesses have taken a U-turn from traditional forms of marketing like newspapers and billboards to something more modern- digital media.
Digital marketing then comprises any online marketing that depends on digital technology like social media and the internet. Digital marketing is all-encompassing and has social media marketing, video marketing, affiliate marketing, and pay-per-click advertising as its subsects.
Digital marketing tools
Digital marketing involves a lot of details and rudiments. It requires a digital presence on almost all platforms. Since this is quite tasking, digital marketers use tools to make the work easier and more efficient.
Digital marketing tools are software that does the heavy lifting. They automate tasks and free up time that would have otherwise gone into tedious repetitive processes. These tools span across;
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Email marketing tools to schedule emails and check for parameters like email open rate.
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Content creation tools like Graphic design apps, video edit apps, and Google Docs.
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Video hosting tools
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Website analytics tools
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SEO tools to increase the likelihood of ranking high in a Google search.
What do digital marketing campaigns entail?
The aim of any digital marketing campaign is to establish an online presence, nurture a target audience, and eventually convert them to paying customers. To do this, digital marketers include details such as;
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Search Engine Marketing: It is cheaper for businesses to meet potential customers at the point of need, that is when they are looking for answers versus marketing to an oblivious audience. This led to the use of either paid search advertising or SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
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Social media promotions: These are organic posts that followers see. In some cases, followers of followers can also see posts depending on engagement.
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Email marketing: Using email marketing campaigns to build an audience, nurture them, then promote services or products to email recipients.
Social Media Management
Social media is no doubt a part of digital media. In the world of marketing, Social media management is the subsect of digital marketing that focuses mainly on the use of social media platforms for brand awareness and marketing. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are the primary targets of social media management.
Social Media Management entails creating content for various social platforms and audiences, interacting with current and potential consumers, and developing an online presence.
Social Media Management tools
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Scheduling tools to schedule and automate posts
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Analytical tools to track and analyze the performance of social media posts
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Monitoring tools to find out public opinion about a brand.
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Engagement tools to manage all replies and comments from one inbox.
Why Social Media Management?
Social media platforms have become a huge part of daily communication. They have created something that shares some similitude to an alternate, virtual world where we all exist.
A huge factor of business success is putting products and services precisely where the target audience resides. Hence, social media marketing has become a necessity in today’s digital world. Through it, companies can get in the faces of their customers and grow their customer base.
Elements of social media management
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Everything starts with a plan. A good foundation for success is a proper strategy. Social Media Managers define objectives and content types in line with the overall brand agenda.
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Consistency takes the front stage. Most social media platforms favor pages that stick to a consistent posting schedule by increasing visibility.
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Engagement monitoring. The goal doesn’t stop at posting constantly. Even more, attention is paid to the number of likes and shares. This is an indicator of public interest and approval.
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Advertisement. In some cases, brands run ads to increase their reach and drive brand awareness.
The differences between Digital Marketing and Social Media Management
Digital marketing is broad and carried out on all digital platforms but social media marketing takes a niche approach, it focuses mainly on marketing on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Digital marketing aims to raise brand awareness by reaching the audience at various touchpoints (the touchpoints are determined by the product/service). However, social media marketing connects with the audience through social channels.
How to pick the career path for you?
If you are predisposed to being in the shadows to orchestrate a lot of complex fine detail, digital marketing might be your thing.
But if you prefer to be on the front lines and in the bustle of social media life, social media management is probably your thing.
Take care though, these are only suggestions, the only way to know for sure if you are better suited to a field is to map out a plan to explore your options.
A better strategy would be to subscribe to the CareerBuddy Daily Newsletter, where you get premium career tips and resources as well as prompt updates on fresh job openings.
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